These recordings of
Joseph Spence, made by
Samuel Charters in 1958, display one of the most inventive guitar styles ever put to tape.
Spence improvised on
traditional tunes in a manner comparable to African-Americans
Elizabeth Cotten and
Mississippi Fred McDowell, like them adding rhythmic and melodic accents and changes in unexpected ways. In addition to his guitar work, he possessed an unparalleled vocal style. The closest match is the deep-voiced
blues singer
Howlin' Wolf.
Charters met
Joseph Spence, who was well-known to people on the island of Andros in the Bahamas, somewhat unintentionally while looking for Bahamian
folk music. The recordings were made with field equipment, and the sound quality reflects this. As with all
field recordings, this is a blessing and a curse. The lack of a studio preserves the "authenticity" of the
folk sound, while the vocals on some tracks end up too low in the mix, thus de-emphasizing one of the most interesting aspects of the music. Nonetheless, the songs on this collection are intriguing and novel, even to the seasoned
folk music listener.
Spence's complexity of guitar work and uniqueness of vocal style are an unmatched combination. ~ Ben Tausig
